


Worlds Apart

by apagedmelody



Category: Les Misérables (2012), Les Misérables - All Media Types, Les Misérables - Schönberg/Boublil, Les Misérables - Victor Hugo
Genre: AU, Abuse, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Drama, F/M, Poverty, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-03-23
Updated: 2013-07-27
Packaged: 2017-12-06 06:44:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/732607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/apagedmelody/pseuds/apagedmelody
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Modern AU<br/>Éponine is the reason why Enjolras starts a revolution. For her.<br/>***<br/>Sorry but I really don't know how to summarize what I have in my head right now.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

"Why don't you come a little closer, sweet cheeks" Éponine heard a man say, since they were the only ones on the dark alley the comment was obviously meant for her. From the way she was dressed she could not blame the man for being - well, a man. But, it was part of the job, the more skin you showed the better. 

"Fuck off" Éponine said and kept walking, giving the man a dead stare.

She was on her way to her apartment after her shift had ended. Éponine dreaded her job, being a bartender was fine; the difference was that in the bar she was now working, at midnight her and her co-workers had to stand on the bar and dance provocatively for an entire song. The tips usually went higher after the dance, but she hated the job. But at least it paid the bills and with the extra tips she could maintain both 'Roche and Azelma with her.

She was now living at the Pontmercy's building. She rented a room there, a decently big one for her and her siblings, and the best part was that she got special treatment for being friends with Marius.

Marius.

He was the best thing that had happened to her since her father lost the Inn. Marius was kind, handsome, intelligent and - he was in love with somebody else. Cosette. The worst part of it all was that Éponine had tried to hate the girl but could not; she was too nice, taking care of her sibling the nights she was not home and lending her clothes when hers here all dirty. Éponine knew Marius never saw her more than just a friend but still she hoped someday that would change.

The sun was beginning to rise when she got to the apartment. She took off her heels and tiptoed to her bedroom, closing the door quietly behind her. Her room was a place where she could be herself and only her siblings got to enter. Two of the four walls were colored a boring white, but the other two were her way of getting all her feelings out. One had an enormous wave, she had even painter foam where the water was supposed to crash and on the corer she had drawn three small seagulls, the biggest was herself and the other two were her brother and 'Zelma. The other wall was the complete opposite, fire. Yellow, orange, brown, red. Bright colors, colors full of life. Full of promises. 

She was tired but she wanted to paint that night. Éponine soon changed into her pajamas and looked at both clashing walls. Water. She wanted to paint the ocean that night. She started to mix colors while looking at the wall. White, blues, she even added a little green. Once she looked down at her palette she almost dropped it. The color she had created was a shade of blue she had not seen in nine years.

 

***

Ten Years Before

"Julien Alexander Enjolras, ready or not here I go!" yelled Éponine. 

She and her neighbor were playing hide and seek, they had asked Azelma if she wanted to come but she refused and preferred to stay at the Inn taking care of their mother. It had been close to a year since she gave birth to Gavroche and she was still very ill. 

Éponine and Azlema did their best between taking care of their baby brother, attending their mother and helping at the Inn. Their father had started to develop a drinking habit and was spending all the money. Mr Thénardier had never been a caring loving father but he had never hit any of his daughters, that had changed when Mrs Thénardier had gotten ill.

There was one time her father hit her so hard, that Éponine's eye was swollen for an entire week. No one knew the real reason of her injury except for 'Ras. Enjolras was a couple years older than Éponine but he did not treat her like the other boys her age treated her; he was not mocking her all the time or trying to pull her hair. No, he treated her like an equal. Enjolras was actually Éponine's best friend. 

"Found you!" she said jumping on his back. 

Enjolras started running still carrying Éponine on his back. She laughed hysterically, making him look away from the ground. He lost his balance tripping over a tree branch and both fell to the ground. Éponine falling on top of him.

"Mademoiselle, are you all right?" asked Enjolras, his voice filled with concern. She just nodded and started to laugh again, Enjolras joined her after a few minutes seeing that she was actually okay and nothing had happened to her. 

Éponine moved from on top of him to lay on the grass. 

"Mama is getting worse" she said, all the laughter gone from her voice.

Enjolras turned on his side so he could see her face, even if it was just the profile of it. He took her hand between his and said nothing. This was the reason why he was her best friend, sometimes there were times when their silence said much more than words ever could.

She felt a tear escape her eye and run down her cheek. Enjolras quickly brushed it away, his fingers lingering on her cheek. Éponine turned to meet his eyes.

 

***

 

Éponine felt like there was no oxygen in the room. The memory had knocked away all the air from her lungs. 

It was that blue, she was sure of it. The color she had just carelessly created was the exact same shade of his eyes. She stared down at her palette not really sure what to do with it.

Éponine was not the kind of person who threw money away, and the paint she used to create that color had been expensive. She just was not use how to use the color, where to put it. Éponine was actually scared to use it. What if she used it somewhere that was not visible enough? Or worse, what if she ran out of the color? What if she could not create that shade of blue again?

Julien Alexander Enjolras. She had not thought on that name in quite a long time. Her best friend from infancy. Her 'Ras. The only person she shared her deepest and darkest secrets with.

Éponine decided to use the shade of blue on the part of the wave where she was able to look at when she woke up and also where she was able to reach out and touch while she was lying down on her bed. 

Where are you my 'Ras?


	2. Grown Child

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi guys:) i swear i don't have time to be doing this because i have so many work to do but i decided to say "fuck it". you guys deserve for me to be better and upolad faster so...here's me trying to be just that.

He was sick of it! 

Enjolras stood up from the chair he sat on and went to look out the window. 

He could hear his mother talking but he didn't want to hear a word she had to say. She didn't get it. And she never will. Nether would have his father but he was sure he at least would have tried to be supportive, that is if he were still alive. 

"This is nonsense! I don't even recognize you anymore Julien. My own son!" 

"Mother, please." responded Enjolras, he wanted to get out of the house. It was ridiculous to be looking at his backyard. All this space for nothing, no use. His childhood house was actually a mansion where most of the rooms where unoccupied, the thought disgusted him. 

"A revolution! Who are you? All your father's efforts are going to waste!" shouted his mother at his back. 

Enjolras couldn't take it anymore. She didn't know anything. His mother didn't know the secret he was told at a young age. 

All these years and he still remembered her. How could he not? She had been his best friend. And in return he had been her confident. Sometimes she told him things he didn't want to hear, things that hurt him and marked his soul. 

Enjolras remembered the shouts. Her shouts. Cries of forgiveness and desperation, all in vain. She didn't deserve the life she had, she really didn't. No one did.

That was why he was planning a revolution. It had all started at a young age. With her. 

It was all for her.

"Don't you dare walk out of this house Julien! If you do I will not call you my son."

At his mother's words he turned. She looked old and tired. She certainly wasn't the woman he had called a mother three years before. Ever since his father died a part of her died with him, her warmth. She had wrinkles on the corners of her eyes and mouth. The blue eyes he had inherited from her were now lifeless on her face, no longer shining. 

"Goodbye mother" he said closing the front door behind him.

He didn't like to visit, not when she talked shit of his actions. 

Ever since he was seventeen he had counted the days for his eighteenth birthday so he could get out of the house and a place of his own. When he was seventeen was the time when his dad had started to get sick, for his eighteen they knew he had terminal lung cancer. His father passed away when he was twenty and his mother was never the same after that.

As he walked down the stupidly long way to get his car he passed by her house. Well it wasn't hers now obviously, it hasn't been since nine years. 

The building had been her father's Inn. He remembered how many times he wanted to go in at night and just get her out of there, keep her save with him forever.

But it had all happened so fast.

 

***

 

_Nine years before_

Enjolras woke up with the sun shining on his face. Yes! He knew it would be a good day, he told her so! He smiled at the thought of bragging her about it. The night before she said it would certainly rain but he knew better.

He quickly changed into jeans sneakers and a gray t-shirt. His hair was a mess but he knew better not to comb it, 'Ponine liked to touch his curls so it was of no use. 

Descending the stairs he heard his parents talking on the kitchen. 

"There's nothing left there. Lucy passed in front of the building in the morning and was surprised to find the door opened. She went to check if there was a problem and she found the place empty" he heard his mom say.

"Poor boy, he will be devastated when he finds out" said his father. 

"You know I never had a good feeling from that Thénardier man. Shame for the girls and the baby, specially that Éponine girl, she was very nic-"

Upon hearing her name Enjolras entered the kitchen which quieted his mother. Seeing she wasn't going to continue, he pressured the matter. "What were you saying about Éponine, mother?" 

His mother looked at his father.

"You know son, I really don't think this will be a good day for you to see 'Ponine" said his father looking into his eyes with pity.

"But father, it's a beautiful day! And I promised 'Ponine I would take her to the lake and stay all day there" said Enjolras not understanding what was all the fuss about, he saw Éponine every day.

"Patricia would you care leaving us to have a father-son conversation?" when he heard this Enjolras was scared, he knew something was very wrong whenever his father called his mother by her name. His mother left for the living room.

"Julien, in life, things don't last forever. You need to know this. You do know this don't you?" at his words Enjolras nodded.

"Good because, son. I want you to know that what I'm about to say isn't easy. Son -. Look. The thing is -" why was his father mumbling? 

"Father is something wrong?"

"Yes, Julien. Mr. Thénardier left" Enjolras smiled, that meant no one would hurt 'Ponine anymore. She was saved! "But, son, he took everything and everyone with him".

Everything? 

Everyone? 

Azelma? Little Gavroche?

Éponine.

"No!" he shouted and ran to the door, he ran to her house. 

She wasn't gone, of course she wasn't. Today they would spend the day on the lake and he will tell her what his father just told him. Now he felt like all the air had been knocked out form him but later he would laugh with her over this stupid assumption.

She wasn't gone. She couldn't be gone.

He was now standing in front of the gray building. The front door was open, no light was shining inside. He couldn't hear baby Gavroche's cries, or Azelma singing. But what preoccupied him the most was that he could not hear Éponine's laugh.

He walked inside to find all furniture gone, not even a candle was left. Nothing.

It was like she was never there. Like it was all part of a very cruel dream. 

But she had not been a dream.

Enjolras climbed the stairs, she surely was on her room. 

Once he was standing in front of her door he knocked. But what he received was an eco of his knocking playing down the corridor. He knocked three times more and then decided to open the door. 

The room was empty, and the walls bare. On the floor he could make out small paint drops of all colors and shapes, on the far right wall where he once painted his hand with red, hers was right next to his, smaller, in a blue color. He smiled at the memory, she had been extremely angry when he called the color a simple blue. 

Enjolras walked farther into the room and heard the floor creak. The secret place! He knelled and lifted the a small wood board. Inside he remembered she kept her favorite things, things she thought were worth saving. What he saw then made him gasp, the small box once filled with precious things was empty. Not a thing was left.

He felt his eyes start to water. No. She couldn't be gone.

But the pain on his chest said otherwise.

Enjolras then felt sick. He ran outside and threw up on the sidewalk. 

The sky was gray now, the sun no longer shining. 

He felt his knees give up and he fell to the ground. Just then a small water drop hit his cheek. He looked up at the sky as many more drops made their way down to the earth. 

Half an hour later he was still knelled on the ground and drenched from the still pouring rain. Enjolras couldn't make out his tears from the rain. Just then he must have looked crazy, for he started to laugh. 

He laughed because, like always, she had been right. It had rained.

 

***

 

He smiled at the house. It was now being taken by nature, the windows were all broken and there were holes on the wooden floors. It now looked like a haunted house but he remembered that house on glory days. When the chandeliers were alight, when the living room smelled of cinnamon and her remembered the way very beautiful girl made her way down some breathtaking stairs. 

He thought of her all days. Enjolras found himself wondering of her future everyday. What had happened to her?

She must be twenty-one if his memory wasn't failing him. Yes, he thought he was right. 

'Ponine. There was no doubt she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen and the smartest.

He often heard how Marius glorified Cosette and he had seen the girl. Cosette was pretty but in a obvious and physical way. When you saw Éponine you saw she was beautiful, you were drawn to her and once you had a word with her you knew your world would never be the same.

Enjolras then felt the need to find her. Was she even still living in France? 

He had heard her father was now in jail from the news but there had been no information from Éponine or her siblings. Surely that had been her, pushing all media away from her, she hated when attention was directed at her. 

He just wanted to see her and make sure she was okay. Even if he only saw her from a far.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes guys they will meet at some point. when? well...i don't know because i really just make the story up as i'm writing... :/  
> hope you liked it!


	3. If You Could See Me Now

Long, wavy, brown hair; tall but not too much, skinny body. He can only see her from behind but he's sure it's her. It has to be.

Enjolras starts running toward the girl, but she gets farther apart, he will not reach her! He has to run harder, faster! He needs to see her face.

"'Ponine!" he tries to shout but his voice won't come out. His throat is completely dry. No, this is not happening, he needs his voice. "Éponine!" he tries again, nothing.

He can barely see her now, the sea of people swallowing her. 

No no no no no. He will not let her slip away, not again. 

Suddenly his body is to heavy and he falls down. What? No. He needs to get up again! But his hands won't obey his order, neither would his legs nor feet. Éponine, he needs to see her; her face, her smile, her warm eyes. 

He looks up to the sky. Please don't let it be too late! I need to see her.

But his body isn't obeying him, and everything around him is normal. The sky is the perfect shade of blue; people are walking the streets, some are talking, others rushing to work. Why isn't anybody helping the man on the floor? But nobody sees him. 

Now his lungs are failing him. What? He can not be dying, he refuses to die. Not before he sees her again. 

Enjolras puts a hand on his chest and is amazed to find it wet, when he looks down he sees his once white shirt is now crimson. Blood, and it's everywhere. His hands, shirt, pants and hair. What happened to him? He looks around to find a bluet shining with the sun. 

"Help! I've been shot!" he tries to shout, but his voice still wouldn't function and it was getting harder to breathe. "Help me, please!" he mouths.

He lies down on the sidewalk, incredibly nothing hurts. He feels nothing but there's another kind of pain, pain from not being able to see her before he left the earth. Perhaps they could meet again, on heaven. He smiles at the thought.

"Enjolras? Is that you?" he hears someone say. Somehow he known it's her. 

Open your eyes! Open them and you'll see her before you die. Fate is not as cruel as he thought. Open your eyes! 

"'Ras?"

Enjolras opens his eyes to be blinded by the sunlight coming from his window. He is lying on his bed, tangled on the sheets with tiny drops of sweat covering his body.

"It was a dream, just a dream" he says to himself. Although he was dying, he finds it disappointing he didn't get to see her face. 

Éponine, Éponine, Éponine.

It was always her, on his dreams, but he never got to see her. There was always something on the way, something that stopped him. His father, a bullet wound, he being trapped, someone bumping into him.

Not being able to get to sleep after that dream Enjolras decides to get up and take a shower it was afternoon after all.

"Maybe the shower will get her out of my mind for awhile" he says under his breath, but he knows better. Still he loses nothing on trying to lie to himself.

 

***

 

"What do you mean you need me there by five? My shift is 'till ten!" 

He's got to be kidding! That son of a bitch. 

Montparnasse, the bar owner, had called to tell her he needed for her to start working before. She couldn't she had promised her siblings to take them to the movies, not that he gave a shit about her plans. 

Who did he think he was? Yes, he was her boss but he couldn't call at four thirty to tell her to start her shift on half an hour. Just because he was good looking didn't mean he could do that. He was a terrible boss!

But she could't give herself the pleasure to lose or risk loosing the job. Ugh!

"Alright, i'll be there! Just shut up!" she said hanging up and throwing her beat-up cellphone across her room. This would be the second time on a row she would let down Gavroche and 'Zelma, all because of the bossy shit.

Éponine quickly tied her hair into a high pony tail and changed into black tights, a fitted dress from the same color and combat boots; she would do her makeup on the metro, it wouldn't be the first time. 

"Sis, I-. Wow where are you-. No" said Azelma entering her room and taking in the way Éponine was dressed she put two and two together. "You can not do this to him, not again".

"I know, 'Zelma. Believe me, if I could, I wouldn't go but I can't lose this job".

"But you can get another. Maybe sell your work near the Seine -"

"You know that won't pay the rent. This" said Éponine gesturing to her dress "will. Believe me when I say I hate to do this, but I really have no choice".

"I know. It's just that, I don't want to be a burden and I love you so much and you look so unhappy" said her sister looking at the ground not being able to look into her eyes.

"No, don't ever say that, you hear me? You are not a burden and neither is 'Roche. I love you so much" she said hugging 'Zelma close. "Please try to explain 'Roche I love him and this really was just a non-planned change of plans. Tell him it was Montparnasse and give him a kiss form me when he wakes up", they had gone for lunch and Gavroche had been extremely tired, he decided to take a nap to avoid getting asleep during the movie.

"I will" said Azelma seeing her sister leave the apartment with tired, sad eyes.

 

***

 

"I swear I will just end up killing you one of these days" said Éponine to Montparnasse. The reason why he told her he needed her was because he needed for someone to mop the floors and help him take out the trash.

"No you won't, you love me" said the green eyed, dark hair man. The little shit. Somehow she liked he was sassy and he knew it, she hated herself for it. 

He walked towards the speakers and turned on the music to make the work more appealing, Éponine was not a pop kind of person but it was fun to sing it from time to time and to see her boss dance was priceless.

Hearing a good and non pop song was on she decided to sing.

"Dream of silver screen quotations. And if you want these kind of dreams. It's Californication!" both sang at the same time. The rest of the song they sang from time to time and danced foolishly. 

"You're fun to be around Nina. Nice singing voice ya got there by the way".

"You're just saying that because you just wanna get on my pants" she replied.

"Maybe but how about you sing this Thursday?" Thursday was the day a unknown artist came and sung on the bar. "I'll pay you, ya know?"

He would pay her! Yes! Her chest filled with joy. She liked to sing and she knew he didn't pay bad to the performers. "Really?" when he nodded she extended her hand and shook it with him.

He smiled down on her, he wasn't that much of a shit after all. 

"Well now get ready, we're about to open up" he said pushing her gently toward the bar on a playful way. Was he flirting? 

Maybe she had underestimated him, maybe he was a nice person. He was good looking all right and sometimes he was a pain in the ass, but that was because he needed to take care of the bar. 

Montparasse and her, yes it could work. They were both broken somehow; not that he had told her so but she knew something had happened to him. Everyone had something broken inside. Nobody was perfect. 

Well maybe her 'Ras, but she couldn't wait forever for him, could she? And who knew, it hurt to think about it, but maybe he didn't even remember her.

Looking back at Montparnasse she realized he was still smiling at her, yes he was definitely flirting with her. 

Éponine smiled back at him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dum dum DUM. whaaaa? is éponine falling for 'parnasse? i don't even know myself  
> you may have noticed this already..but just in case: montparnasse and éponine did not know each other during childhood.  
> well that was chapter 2 my lovely readers..hope you enjoyed.  
> don't worry it won't be long before enjolras finds éponine. or will it be the other way around? hmm...


	4. A New Dawn, A New Day, A New Life

The song started with the soft rhythm of a piano and it suddenly changed to hard drums and electric guitar; oh how she loved that song. It was perfect not only to end the show but also had a slight meaning on her life. The song mean a new start for her. She was going to end her show with the Muse cover of Feeling Good. 

_"And I'm feeling good" ___

__She sang that line with all her wit, it did feel good to be singing on stage, it felt right. Éponine knew it was just a dream but she could actually see herself doing this for a living, singing. Art was her passion but singing putted her on edge._ _

_____"And this old world is a new world_  
 _And a bold world_  
 _For me"_

__She could see people cheering for her, whenever she hit a high note. Most of the people on the bar were already drunk but they seemed to enjoy her show; one in which she didn't need to be almost on her underwear. Besides, the few persons who were still sober seemed to be liking her performance. Éponine smiled to herself, she liked to sing, because just like when she was painting, it was a way to let all those feelings of regret and stress out of her system._ _

__Far in the back she saw Montparnasse. He was on one of the bar stools, his long legs moving with the beat of the song. Seeing she was observing him, he sent her a smile. There it was again, that flirty smile. She didn't like to confess it to herself but she kind of liked when he looked at her the way he was now. It was almost predatory like and his eyes were full of lust, she could even see it from the distance. Éponine felt the heat make its way to her cheeks and almost missed her cue to sing again._ _

__What was wrong with her? Did she like 'Parnasse? He was a good boss and they had the confidence to play each other jokes, but what was that thing she was feeling right then looking at Montparnasse in the eyes?_ _

__No, no. It was probably only the rush of the song. Probably._ _

__

__***_ _

__

__Enjolras woke up to the sound of his cellphone ringing. The clock on his nightstand showed it was late, really late. Whoever was calling was going to have to deal with his unleashed fury._ _

__"Apollo!" he heard his friend say from the other end of the call._ _

__"What the fuck Grantaire! I have classes early tomorrow, oh wait, in a few hours!" Enjolras could hear the background noises from the call, his friend was certainly on a bar. Ugh, was it his time? He was almost sure it was Jehan's._ _

__Grantaire had a drinking problem and so Les Amis had made a kind of schedule. Each day of the week was assigned to a Amis, that way Grantaire knew who to call when he was too drunk to drive himself home; which seemed to be every night. Les Amis were concerned for his friend but when they confronted him about his problem he got mad and shouted to them saying it was a problem of his own and he could stop when he wanted. Besides, according to Grantaire, he had a reason to his drinking; none of Les Amis knew the reason and Grantaire wanted to keep it that way._ _

__"You should come here, Apollo! New bar and you should see the environment here!" even though his friend was shouting Enjolras had problem hearing him, was someone singing?_ _

__"Do you need me to take you home?" he was sure it was Jehans time tho..._ _

__"No, no. Do you hear her voice, Apollo? That is the song of a goddess, my friend."_ _

__"Grantaire. I swear to God, you better have a better excuse for calling at this hour than some chick who knows her lyrics" he had barely finished saying that when the girl hit a high note. Wow, she really could sing. And her voice fitted perfectly with the song, her raspy tone made the song sound dark and mysterious. He knew the song, one of his favorites, it made him feel alive whenever he heard it. Another high note and he somehow had the feeling he knew the girl behind that voice; strange feeling since he was sure he did not know a girl who sang._ _

__Lie, he had know a girl. One of his childhood._ _

__Enough. It was time to get 'Ponine out if his mind. The girl on the bar couldn't be -._ _

__His thought were cut off when she sang the last verse. The girl singing at the bar somehow sounded like a more mature version from the voice from his childhood. Could it be?_ _

__"My friend, I need a favor. I need you to describe me how the girl singing looks like, it's important"._ _

__"A drink for your sweet voice!" Enjolras heard his friend shout, Grantaire wasn't even listening to him!_ _

__"I need you to focus mon amis! How does the girl looks like?" He asked, this time more urgently._ _

__"What? Apollo, are you still there? I can't hear you!" shouted Grantaire at the phone._ _

__"Grantaire! You hear me? Grantaire!"_ _

__"Jehan's here. Don't worry mon amis, I'll get home on one piece. I'm going to hung up now, I can't hear you over all the noise" and with that the line went dead, his friend had hung up._ _

__"Fuck!" shouted Enjolras to himself. What if it was really her?_ _

__What if he had missed his opportunity yet again?_ _

__He had to ask Grantaire once he see him, he had to remember._ _

__

__***_ _

__

__"What do you mean you don't remember?"_ _

__"I don't. Are you sure I only called because some girl sang at the bar?" asked a very confused Grantaire to his friend, which seemed to be really mad at him not remembering the events of the night before._ _

__"Yes, you just called for me to hear her. But I really need to know how she looked like."_ _

__"Perhaps, Jehan remembers?" offered Grantaire. At his words Enjolras smiled like he had won the lottery, not that he cared for money._ _

__"Thank you, mon amis!" and with that he left to look for Jehan._ _

__

__***_ _

__"A girl singing? I don't know, Enjolras. When I got to the bar the show was already over"._ _

__Really? Really, destiny? Why do you have to make it so hard?!, thought Enjolras._ _

__He was walking away from his friend when Jehan said something to make him turn._ _

__"There was some girl tho. I am not sure if she was the one singing but she seemed to be around many people congratulating her; it may be her. Umm....she was short and had dark hair. Sorry my friend, that's all I got. It was very dark on that place"._ _

__Dark hair and short? That sure was a poor description and many girls could fit to it; but Enjolras had a feeling that girl was the one he was looking for. The one who had been ripped from his life without her own consent._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes yes. it had been WAY to long but i've been reallt buisy  
> but now im on vacations! yes! which means more free time! *dances*  
> woop woop!  
> don't get nervous. enjolras will find ponine when the time is right:) maybe next chapter or the one after that..who know? but soon, my friends. really soon!


	5. Count My Sins

Fire. Tonight she was working on the fire wall. She usually used that wall when she was angry, but tonight it was different. Her mind had traveled yet again nine years past, and the memory she had hold on to was not a nice one. This memory did not make her smile, it made her shudder instead and brought a cold feeling. She remembered it all, every detail. 

How she had begged and yet had been ignored. 

Éponine took her brush and dipped it into the bright red paint.

How she had felt like dirt after that. Dirt that could not go away, not even after all this time.

Éponine passed the brush into the wall angrily, leaving bumps of wet paint. She was breathing hard as she painted faster, not caring for the details. All her feelings on the wall.

She had screamed yet no one had heard. She even pleaded.

It was not enough. She needed a bigger brush, one that could hold more paint. She needed more red, more paint. More.

And then at the next day she had to see into his eyes. Her 'Ras's eyes. He had noticed something was off but she couldn't tell him.

She flinched at the memory. Éponine passed the brush with more force this time, leaving a bumpy texture. She let go of the brush and heard it fall to the floor. It would leave a stain yet she could not care less at the moment. All her attention was at what she had just created.

The wall, it looked like it was melting. No. It looked like it was crying tears of blood; it was twisted and strong. She could feel her heart beating fast and hard on her chest. She had never created something that accurate to her feelings. 

Suddenly she felt a lump forming on her throat and tears making their way to her eyes.

No. She would not cry, would not let herself cry. Yet, a tears escaped her left eye; and damn that tear because it brought all the rest. Soon, she was down on her knees, her eyes blurry from all the tears, sobs coming from her lips and hair sticking to her wet cheeks.

While she sobbed she felt small thin arms wrap around her middle, the small act made her sobs stop. Éponine willed herself to stop crying and cleaned her tears with the back of her hands. She turned and returned the hug to her little brother. He was a pain in the ass sometimes but he knew just the right thing to do when she was at her weakest, they would always have each other's back no matter what.

"You have paint all over your face"

"What?" said Éponine still sniffling a little.

"Your cheeks are red. You look like one of those russian dolls" said Gavroche giggling a little under his breath. 

Éponine looked across the room at the body length mirror she had; indeed her cheeks were red and she couldn't help but laugh. She could always trust her brother to lighten a mood. 

"Okay mister. And you look like something made a nest out of your hair so don't judge" she said ruffling even more his golden locks. At her words he rapidly tried to smooth it, which made them both laugh. 

"Hey! Why am I always the one to be left out!" They both turned to see a very sleepy looking Azelma leaning against the door frame. 

"Because you're the adopted one!" said a teasing Gavroche.

"Hey, if someone adopted it's you. I still don't get how you got that blond hair" replied Azelma who was ever jealous of her brother's good looks. 

"Okay, bed time!" said Éponine getting up from the blood and clapping her hands once. She gave a kiss to her siblings and accompanied both to their room.

She went to the bathroom to change from the paint sprayed paint. Once she was washing her face she looked down at the red tinted water and another memory came to her head. One were the water she used to clean her face wasn't tinted red because of paint, instead it was blood. Goosebumps covered her arms and she looked at herself in the mirror the scar on her eyebrow somehow seemed more pronounced, as the one just below her chin.

Knock it off. It's all in the past now. 

When she was on the bed, covered by a thin blanket did she realized how tired she was. That night, even though her day had been filled by undesired memories, her dreams were filled by clear water and two kids. One blonde and big blueish eyes; the other, a girl with long brown hair and dimples. 

 

***

 

"Hi, can I help you?" 

Enjolras turned to see a petite woman with chin length hair and a tattoo of a bird on her right collarbone. "Uh, yes. I'm looking for a friend? She might work here?"

"Does your friend have a name, honey?" asked the woman. 

"'Ponine?" 

"Sorry, honey. I don't know any girl with that name, she might have the day shift or something"

"Okay, thank you anyway" said Enjolras sadly.

"Uh!" said the woman. "Okay c'mon, honey. Drink on the house, you look miserable. I'm Misuchetta, by the way" 

"Enjolras" replied him while shaking hands with Misuchetta. 

"Here" said Misuchetta placing a rather large glass filled with-who-knew-what. "This will make you forget everything for tonight so take it easy. I gotta get the other costumers now, honey. Good luck with that" she said pointing at the drink. 

Enjolras took a sip and oh dear, he felt as the liquid made it's way down. He was sure the drink had burned his stomach, yet he kept drinking. 

He was so sure he had found her. He even had felt that feeling on his gut telling him he had the right person. 

Enjolras soon realized his glass was empty and his mind getting foggy but still asked for another. That night he would not think of 'Ponine.

 

***

 

"Nina!" said 'Chetta, somehow pleased to see her. "Please tell the bartender to cut that guy out, I'm pretty sure he's spent by now and I have my hands full. Will you, sugar?" Okay, if someone other than 'Chetta ever called her "sugar" she would have punched them right on their faces, but this was 'Chetta, the girl never called a person by their actual name. The fact that she had called her "Nina" preoccupied her, for it meant she really in the need of Éponine. 

"Sure, 'Chetta I will" said Éponine smiling at her only girl friend ever. Misuchetta returned the smile and rushed to her other costumers.

Éponine walked to the bar, toward the guy 'Chetta had pointed at. His forehead was against the bar and beside his head were an proximate of nine empty glasses. Jesus! The guy reeked of alcohol. What had 'Chetta given the poor man? 

"'Cmon drunky, lets get you out of here" she said patting the guy's back. Éponine was greeted by some mumbling. "Do you need me to call someone? A cab, maybe?"

"Call Combeferre" replied the man lifting his head from the bar. 

She turned to the bartender and made a signal for him to pass her the phone. "Okay, but I'm going to need this Combeferre's phone number" she said taking the phone and turning back to the guy. She was sure she'd never seen him at the bar before, she would have noticed. He was handsome, even on his drunken state. His hair was a blond mess, he was dressed on a white shirt with the cuffs rolled to the fore arms showing some muscle in the way, his legs were covered by black jeans and on his feet we wore, what she was sure, were designer sneakers. Lifting her look back to his face she realized he was wearing glasses which made it difficult for her to look at his eyes, that and his eyes were pretty heave lidded from the aftermath of alcohol. 

"How 'bout that number?" she said clearing her throat realizing she had been staring. 

"Right" said the guy taking his head on his hands. He suddenly started to laugh, "I can't remember. Well isn't that just great". She couldn't help but smile at the guy, he was a pretty calm drunk so she sat on the stool beside him. 

"Well, you have a cellphone?"

Her words made the guy laugh even harder. "Incredible! Only drunk do I get women to ask for my cellphone number!"

This made her smile even wider and wonder how a guy that looked like he did, did not get asked out. "It's to call your friend" she said patting his knee. 

"Riiight!" said the guy and she saw as he stood up with the help of his stool and fished for something on his pockets. "Here" he said handing her his phone and falling back on the stool with a thud.

Éponine started to look into his contact list, once she found a Combeferre she called. Poor guy was sure asleep but what fault she had his friend has drunk that night. 

"This better be good because you just called at my apartment in the middle of the night. Who is this anyway?" asked a male voice.

"Yes hi sorry. Is Combeferre speaking?"

"Yes, now please get to the point I was having a really good dream, whoever you are" the words weren't meant to be mean, she could tell by the tone of voice. She would have been furious if someone woke her at the middle of the night. 

"Sorry again. It's just that your friend is really drunk and -"

"Grantaire" mumbled Combeferre cutting her words. "I was sure it was Enjolras's time. Whatever, where are you?" Once she gave the address she ended the call. She had tried not to, but she was sure she had gasped at the name being mentioned. 

Éponine turned to the see the guy. He somehow reminded her of her 'Ras; but the guy on the phone said his name was Grantaire so it was impossible. But he had the same messy, blond hair and -.

"You know I came here looking for a girl" said the guy. "Which is completely unlike me, but I had hope, you know? No, of course you don't know. Well, not my situation anyway"

"What situation?" she asked intrigued by this man's story.

"Well you see, there was this girl -. Never mind I'll never find 'Ponine".

"Wha-. What did you just say?" asked Éponine. Had she heard right? Could it be? No. Of course not. His name was Grantaire anyway.

"I said I'll never fi-"

"What the fuck!" said another male voice.

Her head was spinning and she needed air. She turned to look at the origin of the other voice. "Are you Combeferre?" 

"Yes, thank you for calling. I'll take care of him now"

She didn't have to be told twice, she walked as fast as she could to the back door and opened it. She took deep breaths and sat against the wall, her head still spinning. 

Had she heard right? Had she heard "'Ponine"?

**Author's Note:**

> Why am I posting this?  
> I barely have time to "keep up" with Second Chances. I am such a loser but my mind just could not let this "plot" go, it's been on my mind for the entire week so I finally decided to do it.  
> Disapointed? Yes, very much than you.  
> But please let me know what YOU think. Is it worth it for me to continue it?


End file.
